1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flexible coupling members between driving and driven elements such as shafts, which must accommodate misalignment and torque in use and which preferably can be installed rapidly and accurately.
2. Background of the Invention
The prior art includes a great variety of shaft coupling devices intended to compensate for misalignment and to transmit torque over a desired range. In constructing such devices, one of the primary considerations involves the magnitude of the torque to be transmitted through the coupling, as this quantity most directly affects the durability of the coupling. In a number of prior art coupling structures, only a very narrow range of torque magnitudes can be accommodated. Thus, for example, where only low speed and correspondingly low torque levels are to be encountered, the coupling designs have not required or utilized the relatively heavy metallic disc elements in the coupling. Conversely, for relatively high speed and large torque loads, the designs have been correspondingly more robust, using the principles of multi-layered flexible discs of high grade steel, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,992 to Mancuso et al. While these latter types of couplings have exhibited sufficient durability and flexibility in use, the cost and the difficulty in manufacturing and installing them have been a disadvantage particularly in view of the relatively narrow field of use in which they can be economically employed. Other types of couplings, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,738, while somewhat less costly to manufacture than the metal couplings, indicate a low torque load capability due to the unavoidable distortion in use under certain loads.